Deer Gifts

Deer are widely distributed, and hunted, with indigenous
representatives in all continents except Antarctica and Australia,
though Africa has only one native species, the Red Deer, confined
to the Atlas Mountains in the northwest of the continent.
Deer live in a variety of biomes ranging from tundra to the
tropical rainforest. While often associated with forests,
many deer are ecotone species that live in transitional areas
between forests and thickets (for cover) and prairie and open
space. The majority of large deer species inhabit temperate
mixed deciduous forest, mountain mixed coniferous forest,
tropical seasonal/dry forest, and savanna habitats around
the world.

Male deer of all species (except the Chinese Water deer who
only have short tusks instead) grow and shed new antlers each
year – in this they differ from permanently horned animals
such as antelope – these are in the same order as deer and
may bear a superficial resemblance.